Bead tosses spark complaints

Sunday

Feb 10, 2013 at 7:25 PM

Complaints from paradegoers have sparked debate over how to handle float riders who pitch hard throws during Carnival.

Chance RyanStaff Writer

Complaints from paradegoers have sparked debate over how to handle float riders who pitch hard throws during Carnival. “These issues need to be brought forward to any and all float riders in an open meeting to the public to attend as a way of showing the community that actions are being taken to provide the public with their safety concerns,” Danny Gray, 40, of Houma said on Houma Today’s Facebook page. Of the 58 Facebook posts Friday afternoon, the majority expressed sentiments similar to Gray’s. Others said individuals should be responsible for themselves and keep a safer distance from the Carnival festivities or not come at all. Krewe of Ambrosia float captain Peter Verret said his krewe members make sure to investigate complaints internally as best they can.“We try to enforce the rules and (float riders) know that they will be reprimanded if they are continually cited for throwing too hard,” Verret said. “When something is formally brought to our attention, it is turned into the police department to handle.”Verret said the cause of many incidents is participants getting overly excited. “People get excited and they throw hard, and that can be interpreted that they are trying to hurt somebody. But I don’t think that is the intention at all,” he said.Verret said he’s not sure what more can be done to deter float riders from harshly throwing items except for instructing them not to and reprimanding them.“Do we just stand in the parade and wave and not throw anything, or do you just attend and take the chance of getting hit with some beads?” he asked. Every year Carnival krewes meet and leaders go over the rules and the dos and don’ts of the parade, Verret said.Law enforcement agencies in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes said no tickets have been given or arrests made this year for throwing beads too hard. However, police said they are aware of how hard beads and other items are occasionally thrown off the floats and will take appropriate action if needed.“We did get reports on the radio over some different things about beads getting thrown,” said Lafourche sheriff’s Deputy Brennan Matherne. “People will typically stop a deputy on the route, and we will absolutely address it. Depending on the situation, we will give them a warning, and if they continue to do it we will remove them from the float.” S.P. LaRussa, a longtime Hercules krewe member, said all krewes ought to take a hard look at the issue and install a policy to correct it “so spectators don’t feel like this is something that is going to continue.” “I know nobody does it intentionally,” LaRussa said. “But this is something that has been around since Mardi Gras started in Terrebonne Parish.”By his account, LaRussa said, float riders try to throw stuff at friends. And what often happens is they miss or the friends duck, and someone else gets pelted unexpectedly.“Then you have a young kid or an elderly person who gets hit,” he said. “Is that right? No, it’s not. But a lot of times that’s what it is.” LaRussa suggested possible solutions would be to continue developing a stricter program and have meetings with float captains to go over the rules and safety precautions of float riding and hope for the best. “We’re just going to have to go back to a learning process of letting these people know Mardi Gras needs to be a fun and safe activity,” he said. “What good is a parade without spectators? If spectators don’t feel it’s safe then we don’t have a parade.”